KARACHI, March 29: Two leading US departmental chain of stores having annual turnover of billions of dollars are looking at India as number one alternative to China for secure and sustained supplies of apparels.

According to the US International Trade Commission (ITC), these leading departmental stores seem to be restless and want to reduce the risk of sourcing from only one country for their apparel products.

Wal-Mart, a leading US chain store, is reported to be targeting supplies of apparels of $5 billion from India over the next six years and India is seen as the number one alternative to China, says the ITC.

Similarly, JC Penney - another giant in retail business - says its apparel imports from India will rise to about $350 million over the next five years while imports from Pakistan will cross $200 million.

Some experts predict apparel prices decline 5 to 20 per cent as a result of the elimination of quotas from 2005 and also believe that 50 per cent of every sourcing decision today is a function of quotas.

According to them perhaps, Pakistan is the only country which will enter the quota free regime with punitive duties (anti-dumping) while all other nations will be free from such burdens and will take full advantage of free global market.

But the most discouraging factor of the entire scenario is that despite all these negative developments the government is least bothered and have not even called a meeting of exporters to solicit their views.

Early this month the European Union (EU) has imposed 13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty on imports of bedlinen from Pakistan which will burden country's export with a total impact of over 25 per cent, including 12 per cent customs duty after the withdrawal of GSP from 2005.

Exporters are wondering as to why Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan has withdrawn himself from the scene and lately he has not been seen in high-profile events directly linked with exports of the country.

Only last week Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz was the chief guest at the 6th Excellence Award ceremony of the Pakistan Readymade Garments and Exporters Association whereas the subject is directly concerned with the ministry of commerce.